


A Confession in Octagonia

by Armphid



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Candles, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Love Confessions, Post-Game, Romance, Rose Petals, Spoilers, Talking Luminary, Video Game Mechanics, pre-time travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 14:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18830230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Armphid/pseuds/Armphid
Summary: In the wake of the defeat of the Lord of Shadows, the party travels to Octagonia to see how the residents are recovering.  Almost as soon as they arrive, The Luminary leaves the rest of the group behind for his own mysterious purposes.  Then Jade gets an invitation to come to the arena alone...





	A Confession in Octagonia

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Thank you for reading! This story does take place in the same timeline as my other stories about Jade and the Luminary. None of them are required reading for this one but it does reference "You Can't Go Home Again." Please enjoy and I always look forward to comments and constructive criticism.

“So yeah, things’ve been all right.”  The massive and muscular frame of Vince Vanquish, one-time champion of the Masked Martial Arts Tournament shrugged.  “I mean, I kinda miss fighting, not that I could keep fighting anyway.”  He shook his head, black hair shaking slightly, his eyes nearly invisible behind his squinting eyelids.  “I get money for appearing at the casino and bringing people in, I guess people heard about me even from far off.  I flex a little, tell some fighting stories, you know.  And that money’s keeping the orphanage in just as good as when….you know.”  He reached up and rubbed the back of his head.  The brawny man was still wearing nothing but his small, open vest, gloves, loose trousers, an orange bandana around his head.  “So, yeah, things are okay.”  He looked down at his guest, “So, hey, I got a question for you.  How come it was you who came to see me?”

 

“Well, I do have an interest in making sure you’re still on the straight and narrow.”  Jade smirked up at him, the former fighter more than a foot taller than she was.  Even before when he had been empowered, she hadn’t feared him.  Now he was no threat at all, even with the advantages of height and weight.  “Not that I hold a grudge for what happened.”  Particularly as she’d let herself get kidnapped by him.  And she did hold a little bit of a grudge.  What he’d done was monstrous, no matter his motive.  “But I confess to being surprised as well.  I expected him to have dropped by before the rest of us did.”  The party had stayed together initially in Octagonia but shortly after they’d gone to check in on the casino, the Luminary had spoken to one of the pit bosses and parted from the rest of the group.  Sylvando had gone off as well, somehow avoiding notice while doing so, despite how unlikely that seemed.  Erik had left at some point as well, so only she, Serena, and Rab had come to the orphanage that was in the large, ornate church. 

 

“Right?”  Vince shrugged, “I haven’t seen my old partner since the last time you all came through and sorted out that whole monster occupation thing…though my memory of that is still a little fuzzy.”  He crossed his arms over his chest.  “Seems strange that he wouldn’t come by.”

 

“It is,” Jade agreed.  But the Luminary had been a bit odd of late.  She’d noticed him watching her more and he’d been more talkative, at least with her.  She rather liked both of those things, actually, given her feelings and plans for the younger man.  But it wasn’t typical.  Particularly since when she caught him looking and met his gaze, he wasn’t looking away and blushing furiously.  He still blushed like a virgin teen…which he was, she supposed, but he didn’t look away.  He would just return her gaze with an unspoken question she didn’t quite understand in those beautiful blue eyes of his.  When she’d spoken to him at Cobblestone Falls before they set off on this new journey to see to the world after Mordegon’s fall, she’d dropped a hint as to her own intentions.  Perhaps he had picked up on it.  “Well, I’m sure he’ll stop in before we leave.  Is there anything we else we can do?”

 

“Nah, you guys’ve done plenty for us Octagonians already,” Vince shook his head.  “We got to do our own part.”

 

“I meant here at the orphanage,” she said, leaning forward a bit, her tone a bit flat.

 

“Oh!”  He looked over to where Rab sat with a crowd of children around him, his thick accent barely audible from where they were as he told them the story of their battle with the Lord of Shadows.  Their little eyes were intently focused, all of them leaning forward as if to catch every word.  Jade smiled at that, remembering when the old man told her stories as a child when they were on the road together.  Serena had taken a few of the older girls off to the kitchens to talk about preparing meals.  “Hey, you’re helping out plenty.  We’re good.  Just have my partner stop by before you guys head outta town, huh?  The kids’ll love seein’ him.”

 

“All right.  I’m going looking for him.  Let Rab and Serena know to meet at the inn, won’t you?”  He nodded and she returned the gesture, turning and walking down the aisle between the pews and then out of the large double doors.  Jade walked through the dark streets of Octagonia, her senses sharp but not from any particular concern.  She knew this place well.  She and Rab had visited here many times before meeting the Luminary and taken place in other tournaments and games previously, though not the Masked Martial Arts Tournament.  Rab had felt it was too high profile until the Rainbough had come up as a prize. 

 

The town still had much of the same energy and feel as it had all those years ago but it was almost more intense; the repression of the people under the Lord of Shadows now causing them to burst forth with life.  The casino…she still wasn’t sure she fully approved.  It saddened her, a little, that there was one less place that revered martial arts so.  To think that she would never stand in the arena again…

 

Jade had not chosen a path and her thoughts had guided her to the casino itself.  She headed in, nodding absently to Sinderella and Whambelina at one of the bars as she passed the other female fighters.  This was where the errant Luminary was last seen.  Now where was he?

 

“Excuse me, Jade?”  She paused and half-turned as one of the casino’s bunny girls, a blond, approached her with a smile.  “I hope I’m not interrupting, but I’ve got a message for you.”

 

“It’s all right.  Please, go on.”

 

The girl nodded and stood up straight, her ample chest pushing out in the low-cut, snug fit top.  “The Champ, uh, the Luminary that is, told the Pit Boss, who told all us girls, that when you came here, that he wanted to see you up in the arena.”

 

“The arena?”  Jade quirked an eyebrow.  “I thought that was closed off for good now.”

 

“It is, mostly,” the girl admitted, “but the Champ made a special request and well…he saved the world, right?”  She giggled a little, “Got to make a few allowances for that!”

 

“I’m sure,” the dark-haired fighter responded.  She bet the girls made all kinds of allowances.  Hmph!  “Thank you.  I’ll go now.” 

 

“You’re welcome!”  The girl bowed, showing off her cleavage, straightened up and sauntered off. 

 

Jade strode towards the stairs that led to the arena.  The usual guard wasn’t present on them, just a set of stanchions that held a velvet rope that marked the area off.  Tied to the rope was a large white piece of poster board with elegant writing that read _“Reserved for Private Event.”_ Jade pursed her dark pink lips and then looked past the rope up the stairs.  What was this all about?  She hopped the rope easily and started up the stairs only to slow as she saw something on them after the first six or so.  “What is…that?”  There were several small, red, flat objects on the stairs; just a few at first but then more as they wound up and around.  She leaned down to pick one up, “Flower petals.  Roses.”  Her heart was beating a bit faster and she felt foolish for it.  This…this couldn’t be…surely not.

 

She walked around the winding course that led up to the arena proper; the avenues for the fans to enter the stands were elsewhere, this was the course that led fighters to the main entry gate.  As she traveled, more and more rose petals were strewn in her path.  The gates to the arena floor were open but beside them was a tall nightstand.  “That’s…”  The selection box used in the Masked Martial Arts Tournament sat atop it, serving as the vase for a large bouquet of flowers, mostly roses.  Snuggly sitting in the bouquet were the masks she and the Luminary had worn in the tournament as well as their numbers from the draw.  “How did he manage to get these?”  The trail of roses led to the arena itself but Jade paused to pick up the two numbered balls.  They had been selected to fight together until Rab intervened.  She’d reached out to shake his hand before the old man spoke up.  Right then and there, she would have seen the mark.  How would things have been different?

 

A moot point.  There was no going back and changing things.  Things had worked out well enough, after all.  She turned from the stand and walked past the gate out into the arena. Jade had always felt a tingle of excitement moving out onto this floor under the eyes of hundreds, hearing the cheers and the calls for her or her opponent.  She hadn’t been here since the Masked Martial Arts tournament.  The last time she’d been in Octagonia at all was when she was under the spell of the Spectral Sentinel Booga.  She’d fought him then, along with Rab, Sylvando, and Hendrik.  Unlike many who were under his spell, Jade remembered everything that had happened.  Everything she had done.  She’d ignored the Luminary almost completely at first, speaking to Hendrik except when Rab butted in.  When they fought though, she’d made a beeline for the younger man and used many…unconventional attacks to keep him occupied. 

 

She had wondered about what that meant after it was all over.  Jade knew herself well enough, or thought she had, to know what the feeling she had for him was.  But then at her most emotionally and sexually free, she had spoken to and taunted Hendrik with becoming her puppy.  Not him.  But then he was the one she used her actual charms on.  Why hadn’t she spoken to him like that?  Made his heart race alongside hers at seeing him again, even intending to defeat and capture him?  Even after she had regained control of herself, she’d teased Hendrik and not him.  She’d thanked Hendrik and not him.  She’d glanced at him then and his pretty face was hurt before his normal stoic mask fell into place.  It had been back to normal after that, or as normal as it could be in the Lord of Shadows world. 

 

Thinking about it since then, she’d realized why.  It was easier to approach Hendrik then, to speak to him.  She’d been feeling so much, so strongly, she’d been afraid of what would have happened if she went directly to the Luminary.  To the man she-

 

Her breath caught as she ascended the few steps to the wide, clear arena floor.  Rose petals were also strewn about, as was something small that caught the light of candles and gleamed.  Candelabras were set in intervals around the circumference of the arena floor and the wax pillars in them were bright but cool from this distance.  In the center of the arena was an elegant table covered with a silver tablecloth and a pair of high-backed chairs with large poofy cushions on them.  The table also held a large candelabra with candles in the colors of the Orbs.  There were two places set and a pair of covered dishes, glasses, and a stand with a bottle of wine on ice.  Standing beside it and looking rather nervous and shamefaced, as much as he gave away any emotion, was the boy with the beautiful hair and soulful eyes who had been the center of her life since his birth.  Even when she’d thought him dead, she had lived to avenge him and Lady Eleanor.  It was beautiful.  And it was unmistakably for her. 

 

Jade was not deeply romantic, though she still had some tendencies in that direction.  She had lived a life on the road with Rab, the two never staying in any one place for more than six months.  She’d had men flirt with her, hit on her, confess to her but never had anyone made such a gesture.  It…it moved her more than she expected.  Her eyes stung and she turned her head away for a few moments to master herself.  But she smiled as she did so. 

 

The Luminary watched her.  After she looked away, he grimaced and gave a little sigh.  His voice was soft and gentle but she had also heard it have a note of utter command when using his magic.  “Is it…too much?”

 

Her smile grew a bit wider.  He was still so shy!  Then she cleared her throat, mastering her expression before looking back at him.  Jade approached, “Not quite, but it’s close.  The rose petals and glitter are a bit much.  The rest…it’s very charming, very sweet.”  She arched an eyebrow as she stopped on the other side of the table from him.  “Though I must say, this isn’t really your style.”

 

He flushed.  “I…I had plans for the dinner and some candles, but Sylvando overheard me talking to the casino manager…”

 

“Oh.  Oh, my.  Well.”  She looked around.  “In that case, this is very tasteful and understated.  How ever did you get him to contain himself?  I’m surprised he hasn’t sprung out from somewhere to serenade.” 

 

The prince of Dundrasil nodded and then looked about nervously, “I…I’m kind of expecting him to.  But so far, so good.”  The two looked about for a minute or so, pacing out to the edge of the arena floor and back to the table from different directions a few times.  When the entertainer failed to appear, they just looked at one another.  Jade shrugged.  The glossy haired youth took another look around, “I know, but…I can’t believe he’d let this go.”

 

In the upper stands, Sylvando wiggled his butt, the feathers on the bustle shimmering and shaking.  “Oh, darlings, just you wait!  When the moment is right-“

 

“Sylv.”  The fanciful fighter let out a squeak and jumped up into the air at the sound of the voice behind him.  He spun about to see Erik standing there, the spiky haired thief’s arms crossed over his chest with his left arm slightly raised, rolling a wooden toy dagger through the fingers of his hand.  “What’re you doing up here?”

 

“Erik!  Darling, you scared me so much I nearly lost my plumage!”  He then grinned and leaned down, “Isn’t it wonderful?  Our little prince of a hero is about to confess to the princess!  OhhhH! He had a much more drab affair planned, but, honey, no.  No, no, no.  Sylvando has rescued this romance!”  He shook his head and then raised his recorder, “And now I will play a stirring love song and everything will just fall into place!”

 

The younger man glanced past Sylvando down into the arena.  “Right.  But it seems to me like they probably want to be alone.”

 

“Erik, which of us knows romance?  I mean, look at the way you dress.”  Erik blinked and looked down at his clothes.  “Honey, just stand back and let a professional make magic happen!”

 

The thief looked back at him, “The magic’s between them, Sylv.  Come on, let’s go hit the casino and leave ‘em be.”

 

Sylvando shook his head, “It’s all right.  I understand.  You have not yet felt love’s sweet sting and therefore do not know the ache of passion unfulfilled!  Only with the right mood and music and choreography can-“

 

“Hey, check out this toy I got for the kids at the orphanage.”  Sylvando was so startled by the non sequitur that he actually stopped talking in mid-ponce.  “Nice, right?  Best part is that even though it’s a toy…it’s still technically a dagger.”

 

“I don’t s-“  The air rushed out of Sylvando’s lungs as Erik struck, fast as the wind, his blow enhanced with one of his many techniques; Sleeper Hit.  The jester blinked owlishly and then started to fall over, snoring faintly.

 

Erik caught him and laid the larger man down.  “There you go.  Sorry, but you should’ve come to the casino.”  He rose to his feet, again looking back at the two below.  He smiled, “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”  Not that either could hear or see him.  Which was the point.  “Good luck.”

 

Below them Jade had returned to stand by the table, watching the Luminary with warm violet eyes.  She was surprised that he had planned even his own less fanciful…whatever this was.  It was a good surprise, really, perhaps she’d underestimated him in regards to roma-, to things of this nature.  “If he’s not leaped out yet, I think we’re safe.”

 

“I hope he’s not hurt or something,” the younger man said with a slightly worried expression.  But Sylvando could take care of himself and Octagonia was safe now.  And this was important.  He was standing near the edge of the arena floor and turned to face her fully.  “I want to say something.”

 

“A rare event, indeed,” she teased.  “But I had gathered.  I think I might know what it’s about, but you know that I want to hear what you have to say.”  Her heart was beating a little faster in her generous chest, even as her expression was somehow both warm and aloof.  He spoke so little that she would always want to hear even if it wasn’t what she thought.  He had a very nice voice, actually. 

 

He nodded.  “Jade.  I want to be with you.”  Her eyebrow arched again and her lips turned in a smirk.  “N-not like that!  But not, not like that either.”  The youth’s hands clenched into fists for a split second, “I hate talking,” he muttered.  The Luminary closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them to speak again.  “I’ve felt like this for a while.  But before Yggdrasil and after we all reunited, I…it wasn’t right to give it much thought.  The world needed the Luminary.”

 

“It still does.” 

 

The brunette lad did not disagree.  “There’s still a lot to be done and people need help, but it’s not an immediate crisis.  And after everything that happened, I feel like…I can finally take some time for something that I want rather than what everyone needs.”

 

Jade was silent a moment.  She felt…strange.  Almost like she was watching this scene from a distance rather than being part of it.  She wanted to cheer but she also felt a certain trepidation.  “I think you’ve earned that.  But you know that I’m not your reward for saving the world or any such nonsense.”

 

He blinked and looked shocked for a moment.  “What?  No, why would I think that?”  She couldn’t help but smile at his honest confusion.  “It’s just that I care about you more than as a friend and my companion.  I want us to,” What was the term Erik used?  “To go out.”

 

Her smile was slightly wider.  She’d bet anything he’d heard that term from Erik.  Not really the vernacular of Cobblestone.  “And you wanted to do so privately.  I appreciate that.”  She could just imagine what could have happened if they’d had this conversation with the others around.  Erik would just start laughing.  Serena would be pleased and hurt without understanding why.  Sylvando would make an outrageous scene while Hendrik would scowl and declare her hand off limits unless he were to seek it through her father as was proper, which would make Erik laugh harder.  Rab would just stroke his mustache and look pleased with himself.  Jade tipped her head slightly to one side and lifted a hand to rest thoughtfully on her cheek.  “And you felt I’d be interested, despite the difference in our ages?”

 

He blushed and nodded again.  Jade felt a bit of remorse at putting him on the spot like this.  But for some reason, she felt that she had to know for sure.  That she had to know he was certain.  “At Cobblestone Falls, when you came to rejoin me before Hendrik showed up,” his beautiful eyes met hers, “you said that I should remember what you told me.  That you’d never let me go again.”  Jade was blushing now also, much to her chagrin and his excitement.  “It felt like there was more to that than something like Hendrik’s oath or Erik talking about sticking together through thick and thin.  It almost…was like a proposal.”  

 

The princess of Heliodor looked immensely pleased and her heart felt like it might burst from her chest, it was swelling so big!  “That certainly sounds…about right, yes.”  In a moment that was unlike the confident fighter, she put her arms around her stomach and looked away from him for a moment.  “I was rather getting ahead of myself, wasn’t I?”

 

“But you meant it.”  His voice was certain; not insistent or declaring but softly confident.

 

“I did.  And I do.”  She looked back at him and her eyes were warm, her face open and smiling.  “You wonderful boy.  You noticed and you didn’t forget.  You’re far cleverer than most people think.”  She knew he was.  And she’d hoped that it would stay with him.  She could feel her eyes wanting to tear up but she absolutely would not!  “When I first realized it was you, in this very arena, I was so shocked and then so excited.  I thought I could have the little brother that you were supposed to be to me.  But…that feeling changed.”  It hadn’t taken long, though she wasn’t going to tell him that now.  Even that first night in Dundrasil, the change had started.  “I said it and meant it.  I’ll never let you go again.”

 

He approached her and stopped just within arm’s reach.  “I don’t want you to.”  His hands reached out and after a moment, hers met them, their fingers threading together.  “But we…shouldn’t rush into it either.”

 

“I think a lot of people would think we’ve taken long enough to get this far,” Jade said.  She felt so light!  Like a good breeze would just blow her away.  “But I agree.  I don’t think there’s anything that you could do that would change my feelings.”

 

“But we owe it to ourselves and each other to be sure,” he responded and she gave a nod.  “So…”

 

“So.  We’ll be a couple and date until we’re sure.”  The princess’s smile became shy, something he never thought he’d see, “Though I’m quite sure now, really.  But you’re right.”

 

“Yes,” he said, agreeing with her on both points.

 

Jade took a half step closer.  “We’re doing things rather out of order, aren’t we?”

 

He nodded again and stepped nearer, the two almost touching.  “Saying we want to get married but we should date first to see if it would work, I suppose so.”

 

“Yes.  And this usually comes _after_ the romantic dinner.” 

 

“Ohh, my back is so stiff!”  Sylvando groaned as he sat up with a yawn from the stone floor of the stands.  “Wha-“  He gasped, “The romance!  They need me!”  He fumbled a few moments to find where his instrument had fallen and sprang to his feet, turning to look down into the arena.  Then he stopped with a fresh gasp before his lips curved in a bemused smile. 

 

Below, Jade was pressed to the Luminary, her arms around his neck and hers encircling her waist.  Their lips pressed together in the most romantic of kisses that even the passionate Sylvando could have imagined.  The kiss broke but their faces stayed close, her lips moving for a few moments before she claimed his again.

 

“Well, well.  Maybe they’ll get along all right without music, after all.”  The tall performer stood up to his full height and watched for a few more moments before he turned away.   “Ah, it’s so sweet!  Those two kiddies are just perfect for one another!”  He hummed happily and started to prance away, “I’ll just leave them be.  And go find a certain blue haired ne’er do well who’s going to get such a talking to!”

 

 


End file.
